Sam Tolchard (born 27 May 1989) is an English international lawn and indoor bowler.[2][3]

Sam Tolchard
Personal information
NationalityBritish (English)
Born (1989-05-27) 27 May 1989 (age 35)
Torquay, England
Sport
SportBowls
ClubTorquay Utd (indoors)
Kings BC (outdoors)
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking16 (August 2024)[1]
Medal record
Representing  England
Men's lawn bowls
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Glasgow pairs
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Gold Coast fours
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham pairs
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham fours
Atlantic Bowls Championships
Silver medal – second place 2009 Johannesburg singles
Silver medal – second place 2009 Johannesburg triples
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Cardiff triples
World Champion of Champions
Gold medal – first place 2022 Wellington singles
Hong Kong International Bowls Classic
Gold medal – first place 2010 pairs
British Isles Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 pairs
English Nationals
Gold medal – first place 2007 cofc
Gold medal – first place 2008 singles
Gold medal – first place 2016 pairs
Gold medal – first place 2016 singles2w
Gold medal – first place 2019 cofc
Gold medal – first place 2021 singles
Gold medal – first place 2021 singles2w
Gold medal – first place 2022 singles2w

Profile

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In 2009, he won the singles and triples silver medals at the Atlantic Bowls Championships[4][5] and the following year in 2010, he won the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic pairs title with Robert Newman.[6]

He competed for England in the men's pairs at the 2014 Commonwealth Games[7] where he won a bronze medal.[8][9]

He was selected as part of the English team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Queensland[10] where he claimed a bronze medal in the Fours with David Bolt, Jamie Chestney and Louis Ridout.[11][12]

In 2019, he won the triples bronze medal at the Atlantic Bowls Championships[13] and in 2020, he was selected for the 2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] In 2022, he competed in the men's pairs and the men's fours at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[15] Partnering Jamie Walker he won the pairs silver medal, losing out to Wales in the final and in the fours he also secured a bronze medal.[16]

In November 2022, he won the gold medal at the World Singles Champion of Champions in Wellington, New Zealand.[17]

In 2023, he was selected as part of the team to represent England at the 2023 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.[18] He participated in the men's singles and the men's pairs events.[19][20] In the singles, he won his group undfeated but then lost to Iain McLean at the quarter final stage.

National Achievements

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He has won eight National Championship titles, including six singles titles.[21][22] He bowls outdoors for Kings BC, who have won the Top Club championship four years running from 2016 to 2019.[23]

National titles

Personal life and family

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Tolchard is the brother of England international bowler Sophie Tolchard.[24] His father, Ray Tolchard, played cricket for Devon and was a first-class cricket umpire, and his uncle Roger Tolchard played Test cricket for England and county cricket for Leicestershire. Another uncle, Jeffrey Tolchard, also played cricket for Leicestershire and played football for Torquay United and Exeter City.[25]

References

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  1. ^ "Male rankings". World Bowls Series. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Profile". Henselite.
  3. ^ "Tolchard wins first global title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  4. ^ "2009 Atlantic Championships". World Bowls Ltd. Archived from the original on 14 March 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Bowls". The Times. 18 May 2009. p. 61. Retrieved 21 May 2021 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  6. ^ "HK Classic winners Men Pairs". HKLBA. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Glasgow 2014: Sam Tolchard aims to banish 2010 bowls nightmare". BBC News. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Glasgow 2014 profile". Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  9. ^ "Tolchard makes up for his Delhi dismay with bronze in men's pairs". Western Morning News. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  10. ^ "2018 Commonwealth Games team". Team England.
  11. ^ "Fours results". CG2018.
  12. ^ "Commonwealth Games: Scotland's Alex Marshall wins record fifth gold as women take bronze in bowls". BBC Sport.
  13. ^ "2019 Atlantic Championships". World Bowls. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  14. ^ "SELECTION: 2020 WORLD BOWLS CHAMPIONSHIPS". Bowls England. 6 January 2020.
  15. ^ "Official Games profile". 2022 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Wales beat England to win gold". BBC. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  17. ^ "Tolchard crowned World Champion of Champions champion". England Bowls. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  18. ^ "COMPETITORS CONFIRMED: WORLD BOWLS OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023". Bowls International. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Events and Results, World Championships 2023 Gold Coast, Australia". World Bowls. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  20. ^ "SCHEDULE & DRAWS". Bowls Australia. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Bowls England National Finals 2021". Bowls England. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  22. ^ "DOUBLE TWO BOWL DELIGHT FOR TOLCHARD ON DAY 14". Bowls England. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  23. ^ "KINGS SECURE FOURTH SUCCESSIVE MEN'S TOP CLUB TITLE". Bowls England. 15 September 2019.
  24. ^ "News". Torquay United Indoor Bowling Club.
  25. ^ "Sam Tolchard". Team England. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
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